'antisialogogue' originates from Greek elements and New Latin formation, specifically the parts 'anti-' + 'sialo-' + '-gogue', where 'anti-' meant 'against', 'sialon' meant 'saliva', and 'agogos' meant 'leading' or 'bringing'.

'sialogogue' entered medical English via New Latin/medical Latin from Greek 'sialagogos' (meaning 'leading forth saliva'); 'antisialogogue' was formed by prefixing Greek-derived 'anti-' to that medical term to indicate opposition to salivation.

Initially the roots referred literally to 'leading forth saliva' or 'against leading (of) saliva'; over time the compound 'antisialogogue' came to mean specifically 'an agent that reduces or inhibits saliva production'.